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19 Chairs for Creativity + Change

At the end of April, London-based brothers and emerging designers Tom and Will Butterfield launched 19 Chairs to raise funds for Age UK and Resourcing Racial Justice. Using sections of wood along with wood screws, they challenged themselves to design and build one chair a day for 19 days during lockdown.

With all of the chairs assembled they’re now moving on to Stage 2 of the project: delivering the chairs to artists and designers from the creative industry who have been asked to reinvent, reimagine, or redesign their chair with an older person in mind. Signed up to participate you’ll find designer Tom Dixon and illustrator Jean Jullien among others. With only four spaces left to fill, we can’t wait to see the results!

Their plan is to sell these revamped chairs with all profits raised being donated. Tom and Will first chose to give their support to the elderly that have been heavily affected by COVID-19, with Age UK offering companionship and support to their generation. And in light of the Black Lives Matter initiative, they decided to donate the other half of their profits to Resourcing Racial Justice. This group of POC individuals are innovators, change-makers, activists, artists, and social leaders who are dedicated to social change.

Stay up to date with the 19 Chairs project by visiting 19chairs.co.uk.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.